Unplayable or play it as it lies????

[strikurjim]

I was recently playing a round with a few friends and was having a great time, 'cause hey I was playing golf!!! So, we are on the 9th hole and I hit my tee shot and try to carry the bunkers down the right to greatly shorten the hole. I get a bad bounce and end up on top of a tree stump. It was a recenlt cut tree and I was unsure of how I could play the shot. One member of the group advised me that it was a man made hazard and I could get relief no closer to the hole. I was wondering if any one knew for sure the ruling in this situation?

 

[CCCakumbra]

Yep I'm with your buddy. I am pretty sure he is correct, that is what I would do in that situation anyway.

[FLOGMR]

Unless it is marked somehow indicating free relief it is part of the course and you have to play it as is or take a penalty drop as you have deemed it to be unplayable...Sorry !!

[KevCarter]

[b]25/8 Tree Stump [/b]

Q. Do the Rules provide relief without penalty from a tree stump?

A. No, not unless it has been marked as ground under repair or it is in the process of being unearthed or cut up for removal, in which case it is "material piled for removal" and thus automatically ground under repair — see Definition of "Ground Under Repair."

A tree stump which the Committee intends to remove, but which is not in the process of being removed, is not automatically ground under repair.

[Bella Woods]

kevcarter:

Good job locating the ruling!

I remember a relatively famous photo of Arnold Palmer(I think in the UK)
hitting a shot off of a tree stump, but I never knew if he had to do it,
or elected to do it.

I do remember he did not fare to well on the shot.

[rex235]

Actually, the Arnold Palmer tree stump reference is to the shot he played at the 1963 US Open at The Country Club in Brookline, MA-

[i]It is the cover photo of the 2010-2011[/i] [i]Rules of Golf published by the USGA-

[/i]This is where Arnold Palmer, Julius Boros, and Jacky Cupit wound up playing in a 3 way playoff- Boros won.

10 years later, Palmer and Boros are at it again at the final round of the 1973 US Open at Oakmont, PA , until Johnny Miller's 63.

It should have been marked as Ground Under Repair. If not, then it's either play it (like Palmer) , or declare it unplayable.

Since someone in your group would have most likely had a cell phone, you could have contacted the clubhouse, and gotten a local ruling
(which supersedes the USGA ruling)

I trust whatever action you took was the correct one.

[abc]

[quote name='RM Golf' timestamp='1311091407' post='3404406']
Unless it is marked somehow indicating free relief it is part of the course and you have to play it as is or take a penalty drop as you have deemed it to be unplayable...Sorry !!
[/quote]

This.

[rex235]

Thought as much.

And you know the course went out and marked it G>U>R.

No one wants to injure a small bone in their hand (been there), or pop a few metacarpals or tendons...

Bella is right...Arnie didn't fare too well with that shot....but he did play it as it lies.

[Hofnar]

If you cannot handle the lie you`ve gotten your ball into you are always entitled to relief. It costs one stroke, though.